Kwazulu-Natal
Hilltop Camp, Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park
Hilltop Camp is one of the oldest accommodation options in KwaZulu-Natal and, being located on top of a forested hill, has outstanding views across the wild landscape. The camp sits within Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, formerly Hluhluwe–Umfolozi Game Reserve, the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa and an ideal location for game viewing.
There is a range of two- and four-bed chalets at the camp, some fully self-catering with a small kitchen area while others only offer a bedroom and seating area: most have private bathrooms. The two bed self-catering chalets have twin beds with mosquito nets, ceiling fans, TV, lounge area, fridge, microwave, stove, kettle and cooking utensils and cutlery. While the non-self-catering chalets offer the same facilities with the kitchen. There are also larger chalets with two bedrooms (4 beds) that can accommodate a family.
The main building at Hilltop houses a restaurant serving a tasty English breakfast buffet, a la carte lunches and hot or cold buffet for dinner. There is also a barbecue (braai) used for some evening meals depending on weather. There is a bar and lounge decorated with historical photographs of Hluhluwe and a curio shop. Outside is a patio and swimming pool with deck chairs. The camp benefits from 24-hour electricity and a backup generator and is fenced from the rest of the reserve making it safe to walk around, even at night.
Activities at the camp focus on game viewing drives but there is also a forest trail and a hide with floodlights overlooking a waterhole visited by many species. Nocturnal spotlighting drives and bush walks are also offered, thereby increasing the potential for wildlife sightings.
Facilities
Accommodation at Hilltop Camp ranges from a luxury lodge to a variety of well appointed self-catering units. All units at Hilltop Camp are serviced daily. There are some rondavels with communal ablutions and kitchens, and two-bedded and four-bedded self-catering chalets. We would normally choose the twenty two-bedded chalets which are not self-catering and within close proximity to the main reception area. Most units have private bathrooms and there is a restaurant, lounge, bar, TV and 24-hour electricity,
Local Wildlife
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is home to the big five (lion, leopard, black & white rhino, African elephant and Cape buffalo) and a very important population of white rhino in particular. Other key mammals include cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena, warthog, nyala, giraffe, steenbok, common reedbuck as well as many commoner antelope species. The park is also home to wealth of bird species with over 300 species recorded.
Optional Activities
Game drives, bush walks and nocturnal spotlighting.
Alan Godwin
Area Specialist
Despite being graded a three-star camp, Hilltop is good for the price and the game is the same. The view over the years has been obscured by vegetation growth so the best vista point is the restaurant.
If you have any questions regarding our South Africa tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
We have just received the feedback form from you for our recent trip to South Africa which I will fill out shortly but I also wanted to thank you personally for organising us such a fantastic trip. The sheer variety of scenery and activities was amazing and the accommodation was uniformly excellent. We enjoyed good weather for our first few days in Cape Town allowing us get the best from Table Mountain as well as travel down to the Cape of Good Hope. A storm front did give a couple of wet days but this had little impact on our wine tasting in Franschhoek. In Hermanus we were fortunate to spot an early southern right whale as well as a humpback. We absolutely loved Montusi mountain lodge – what a view! We were also glad we visited the battlefields and the drive to Fugitive’s Drift lodge was quite enjoyable although I will never complain about potholes in the UK again. The suites at Tanda Tula were amazing and well beyond anything we have previously experienced on safari. The wildlife viewing for mammals was excellent with great sightings of lions and rhino in particular. Once again, many thanks and it’s now time for us to start our diet as we ate and drank rather too well.